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Electrician apprenticeships in South Carolina
South Carolina has 29 registered electrician apprenticeship programs: 0 union and 29 open shop.1 Apprentices are hired and paid while they learn.
Find a program near you
Enter your ZIP to sort by distance. Lineman, utility and studio programs are hidden because they lead to a different license.
29 programs
Aiken Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Aiken · Aiken County
Atlantic Electric, LLC
Charleston · Charleston County
B&L Electric Company and CEC
West Columbia · Lexington County
Berkeley Electrical Cooperative
Moncks Corner · Berkeley County
Black River Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Sumter · Sumter County
Bluffton Electric, LLC
Bluffton · Beaufort County
Carroll's Electric Service
West Columbia · Lexington County
Charleston Electrical Training Alliance
Charleston · Charleston County
Columbia Electric Council Guideline Standards
Lexington · Lexington County
Columbia Electrical Council
Cayce · Lexington County
Corley Plumbing Air Electric
Greenville · Greenville County
Eclectic Electric Service LLC
Irmo · Richland County
Electric Service of the Carolinas, LLC
Conway · Horry County
Electricities of North Carolina, Inc
Columbia · Richland County
Gerald Cramer Electric
Bluffton · Beaufort County
Gregory Electric Company
Columbia · Richland County
Groves Electrical Services A Quanta Electric Power Services, LLC Company
York · York County
Hill Plumbing and Electric Company
Sumter · Sumter County
Independent Electrical Contractors South Carolina
Duncan · Spartanburg County
Lincoln Electric
Ladson · Charleston County
Live Oak Electrical
Ridgeland · Jasper County
Love Plumbing Air & Electrical
West Columbia · Lexington County
Melton Electric Co, Inc.
Myrtle Beach · Horry County
MJK Electric
Summerville · Dorchester County
Northwest Lineman College
York · York County
Northwest Lineman Training Center
york · York County
Powell Electric Columbia, Inc.
Lexington · Lexington County
Rytec Electric, LLC.
Lexington · Lexington County
Selectric LLC
Beaufort · Beaufort County
Spratlin Electric Contracting LLC and CEC
Cayce · Lexington County
Starr Electric
Columbia · Lexington County
Watson Electrical Construction Co.,LLC
North Charleston · Charleston County
watsonelec.comWestinghouse Electric Company
Hopkins · Richland County
York Electric Cooperative and ECSC
York · York County
No programs match. Clear the county or type filter, or try a nearby ZIP.
Union locals and training centers in South Carolina
Call the local or its training center for the next application date.
IBEW union locals
- IBEW Local 776Charleston(843) 554-1080
- IBEW Local 379Office in Charlotte, NC(704) 455-4595
- IBEW Local 508Office in Savannah, GA(912) 964-5080
- IBEW Local 1579Office in Augusta, GA(706) 722-6357
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
- Charleston Area Elec. JATC3350 Hill Park Drive Ste E, North Charleston(843) 990-9984
IEC chapters (open shop)
No IEC chapter lists an office in South Carolina. Chapters cover several states; the finder shows each one's area. IEC chapter finder
Union or open shop?
Union
Run by a JATC run jointly by the IBEW local and the NECA contractors' chapter. You apply to the committee, take an aptitude test and an interview, and wait on a ranked list. The committee sends you to its contractors.
Pay is a set share of the union journey-level rate and steps up on a schedule. Classes are nights or week-long blocks, usually paid for by the program.
Open shop
Run by ABC, IEC or a single electrical contractor. You usually get hired by a member contractor first, and the contractor enrolls you.
Your employer sets the pay and the raises. Classes are nights or weekends, and some programs charge tuition.
What do programs ask for?
Age
Usually 18. Some programs take applications at 17.
High school diploma or GED
Most programs ask for one. Bring a transcript.
Algebra
Electrical and sheet metal programs usually want one year of high school algebra with a passing grade.
Aptitude test or interview
Union programs give an aptitude test (math and reading) and an interview, then rank applicants. Open-shop programs usually start with a job offer.
Driver's license and drug screen
Many programs ask for both, since apprentices drive between job sites.
Applying this month
Get your papers together1 week
High school transcript or GED, a photo ID, and your birth certificate or proof of age. Programs that ask for algebra want the transcript that shows it.
- Time
- 1 week
Practice for the aptitude test2 to 4 weeks
Union programs test algebra and reading. A few evenings with a practice test helps your ranking.
- Time
- 2 to 4 weeks
Pick three programs and check their dates1 evening
Union programs take applications in set windows, some once a year. Open-shop programs and employer programs often take them year-round.
- Time
- 1 evening
Apply, then keep working
Apply to all three. While you wait, a helper or trainee job with a licensed contractor gives you hours and a reference.
Can't get in yet?
Pre-apprenticeship
Short programs, often free, that teach the basics and help with the application. Ask the programs above which ones they take graduates from.
Start on a crew
Licensed contractors hire helpers with no experience. Keep a log of your hours and employers; many programs and license boards count them. If you'd rather learn the basics first, 8 schools in South Carolina have electrician programs.
The license steps in South CarolinaHow do you get into an electrician apprenticeship in South Carolina?
Pick programs near you, check each one's website for its application dates, and apply to more than one. Union programs test and interview, then rank applicants; open-shop programs usually start once a member contractor hires you.
How much do electrician apprentices make in South Carolina?
Programs set their own scales, usually a share of journey-level pay that rises every year. For a floor, the lowest-paid tenth of all electricians in South Carolina earned $21.31 an hour or less in May 2025.
Electrician pay in South CarolinaOther routes in South Carolina
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, South Carolina, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)